This invention relates generally to article receptacles and particularly to trash bag holders.
In recent years, the popularity of disposable trash bags has increased dramatically. They have proven particularly useful for disposing organic debris, such as grass clippings and the like, since the bags can be sealed after loading to prevent odors caused by decomposition of the organic material.
Nearly all disposable trash bags are now made from a thin plastic film which makes them lightweight and easy to carry. However, the plastic film is extremely pliable and flexible which makes it difficult to hold the mouth of the bag open to permit loading debris. There is, therefore, a need for a device which will hold the mouth of the disposable trash bag open and support it during loading while still retaining the portable and lightweight character of the bag.
The prior art responded to this need by providing a stand comprising a rigid frame having legs secured to a ring which receives the mouth of the bag. This addressed the problem of holding the mouth of the bag open and providing support for the bag. However, the rigid frame added a significant amount of weight and size to the bag, thereby making it cumbersome, unwiedly, and difficult to handle. Thus, the inherent lightweight and portable characteristics of the bag were lost. Further, the means used to hold the mouth of the bag open often made insertion and removal of the bag difficult and time consuming. The bag might even be torn in the process, thereby rendering it unusable.
The prior art has endeavored to overcome some of these problems by providing a frame, such as the snap-together ring disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,649, to hold the mouth of the bag open, without supporting the frame on a stand. This restored the lightweight and portable characteristics of the bag while providing means for holding the mouth of the bag open. However, in doing so, the problem of providing support for the bag was recreated and remains unresolved. For example, the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,649 teaches that the bag must be supported by holding the ring-like frame in one hand while loading the bag with the other hand. This method of support is obviously awkward and unsatisfactory, since it is apparent that the user's hand would tire easily from holding the frame in such position. Further, said patent teaches that the frame is flexible and may be pressed against the ground so as to flatten the bottom portion to permit sweeping debris over the flattened bottom into the bag. Again, this method of loading debris is awkward since holding and pressing down on the frame will leave only one hand free to sweep such debris into the bag. Moreover, the flattened bottom of the frame will act as a barrier to prevent dust or dirt from being swept from a surface, such as a sidewalk, into the bag.
The prior art frames also have an inherent tendency to pinch the bag between the frames during installation of the bag. For example, the snap-together frames described previously comprise an outer ring frame having a circular cross section and an inner ring frame having an outwardly disposed U-shaped cross section. The outer frame is sized to fit within the resilient U-shaped channel of the inner frame. Thus, when the frames are assembled, sufficient pressure must be applied to force the outer frame over the edge of the inner frame. Since the bag is between the frames, such pressure will pinch the bag, thereby weakening the bag wall or perhaps tearing it. Similar problems may be encountered with prior art frames that are hinged together. For example, these frames may require that the periphery of the bag mouth be torn or notched to clear the hinges. Further, since the hinged frames inherently require that the inner and outer frames be fitted together at an angle with respect to each other, the frames may pinch the bag wall therebetween as the hinges are closed.